Finer Things // h.s.

Merry Fucking Christmas

"Tired?" I ask playfully.

"Not... one... bit... you?" He asks through inhales and exhales.

I laugh at his stubbornness to admit when he's slightly lesser than. He straightens his back up and walks over to me.

"You know what I hate?" He says, catching his breath.

"Running?" I joke, nudging at his shoulder, resting my back against the tree.

"No, not running. Valentine's day." He says as he kicks at the ground below him. I smile at him. He definitely does not hate valentine's day.

"Have you ever even had a valentine, H?" I ask. I know if he has I would know about it, we share everything with one another.

"Nah... never found someone nice enough." He mumbles.

"What about me?" I say piping up. Instant regret.

Why would you say that... You crossed a line. Idiot, idiot, idiot. My mind nags at me.

"Well, you've never asked." He says.

I'm mind blown. What does he mean?

"Don't look so shocked, Til. We're best friends." He jokes, coming closer.

"Well, I for one love Valentine's day. People walking hand in hand, exchanging home-made gifts! Kissing..." I trail off, watching the ducks in the small pond flutter around, dipping their heads under the water and back again.

"You've never even kissed a boy, Tilly!" He shouts with a playful tone, throwing his hand on his stomach and putting his hand on the tree once more to stabilise himself from his laughter.

"Well, I will one day." I protest, folding my arms in front of me.

"What about today?" He says, his arm still against the tree.

"Huh?" I respond.

"May as well, just to see, you know, um, what it's like? Research purposes... I don't know?" He says taking his hand from the tree and rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know, we don't have to I just kinda..." He says, looking around the ground.

I pull at his shirt and bring him closer to me and place my hands awkwardly on his hips, feeling the fabric against my fingertips. Our faces close together.

"For research purposes." I declare in a soft whisper.

I gulp and feel my face blush red.

We're just friends. Were just friends. Were just friends. I remind myself.

His lips press against mine, soft and warm. I feel my chest inflate as I breathe in the kiss. It's only a peck but I think my whole world has just changed. The innocence of it all feels right. It isn't a mind-blowing kiss but I'm yet to have that one, but this feels perfect. I open my eyes to meet his own green ones who are also open. We break away in laughter.

"That was so weird!" I shout, throwing myself against the oak tree, covering my hands with my face.

"You kiss with your eyes open!" I squeal, throwing my hands in the air.

"Hey so do you," he says. "I was only opening them to see if you had yours open." He says nervously.

"Yeah right! Race you back!" I take off from him, feeling the happiness conjure deep inside my stomach. What am I feeling? I feel my gumboots sink into mushy ground below, dirt kicking up at my jeans. I turn around to see Harry gaining speed.

"Not fair! You had a head start!" He yells, his laughter following.

I feel so happy right now. This isn't awkward. We are best friends. And that kiss was for research purposes only... maybe."